So you’ve spent a decent amount of time mastering Twitter and have become fairly proficient at attracting followers and engaging them with your pithy and clever 140 character tweets. But, do you feel that you have reached a plateau in terms of what you know? Do you want to be able to better engage your followers and draw new followers into your conversations?
Using the following Twitter strategies, which experts use effectively, will help your business become more successful online – deepening the relationship you have with your existing customers as well as expanding your business reach.
It’s not all about you – ‘share the love’
A common rookie mistake is to make all your tweets solely about you and your business. According to Marketwatch, tweets which are not solely about you have an impressive 50% chance of being re-tweeted. But avoid including too many links or hashtags into your tweets, you’ll not only find yourself ignored by human followers, but Twitter may not even deliver your message – considering it spam. Twitter can do this with no warning. Finding the right balance between just the right number of hashtags and links is crucial.
The purpose of your tweets is to share information and engage your followers in the conversation. Think about the reasons why you want your followers and customers to take an interest in your conversation and re-tweet your tweets. You must add value in order to create purpose. You need to maintain an ever important human connection and interaction, or else your followers will become bored and stop engaging with your tweets.
Start using Twitter like a professional – ‘fly with the eagles’
Experts agree that one out of every four tweets should be about you and your business. The remaining tweets should be a targeted effort from you on topics which your customers are tweeting about. People who have a large following on Twitter recognize they are not tweeting into a vacuum, they know they need to interact with others in order to raise their reputation.
Twitter experts leverage off each other’s popularity by interacting with one another. If you are new to using Twitter, start out by identifying the ‘tweet-leaders’ in your field/industry – watching how they interact with their followers and paying attention to what they post. Try engaging with them as well – re-tweeting their tweets, liking their posts and publishing content which you think they may find engaging. You may even attract the attention of this expert and get re-tweeted or mentioned in one of their tweets, which not only helps gives you a little attention, but helps build your credibility on Twitter.
Offer deals and discounts exclusively to your followers – ‘reward good behaviour’
Some Twitter experts reward their loyal followers by offering them an exclusive deal or discount to acknowledge and reward their followers. It’s a good idea to not just only tweet interesting and relevant tweets but to do something with your followers – converting them from being potential customers passively reading your messages into becoming paying customers. Not only will they jump at the opportunity to participate in your promotion but will continue to want to follow any future promotions you offer.
Tweeting updates about special offers, discounts and time-sensitive deals demonstrates to your customers that you are rewarding them, gratefully acknowledging them for the trust they have in you and your business. This strategy not only raises awareness of the benefits to your existing customers of following your business via Twitter but also generates new followers for your business as your promotions are shared through Twitter’s ‘word-of-mouth’.
Write quality, original content – ‘develop your voice’
This may seem obvious and not require much explanation, but experts have the ability to introduce fresh ideas and write original quality content. Experts write factually correct, well-researched, error-free information. They know how to write grammatically and how to avoid making spelling mistakes (unless they are made deliberately). They are able to attract a wide readership by referencing articles and links on a broader scale as they relate to their business and field of expertise.
Experts manage to build a strong voice and loyal following on Twitter through the regular connection and genuine interest they have in engaging with their followers. Their followers then come to recognize the experts’ tweets by the tone of voice, without even seeing the twitter handle or business logo.
Highlight your business brand – is it really all ‘cat pictures and jokes’?
One thing which Twitter experts do well is to effectively communicate their brand and aesthetic to their followers. When they tweet they ensure every message they send is in sync with their business.
Followers will want to catch your ‘latest news’, so share it with them. Make effective use of photos or videos. For example you could share an image or a short video of one of your projects while it is still in the development phase, to increase your followers’ anticipation prior to the launch date.
Even though as the business owner you may come to Twitter with personal opinions, passions and motivations that differ from those of your followers, you still need to find a way to connect and make your messages resonate. Be confident and provide value. Make sure every tweet that you send is ‘on point’ and increases your credibility and reputation. Your small business Twitter stream will be the one which is watched and followed in the market if you employ these online marketing strategies.
